


You Are The Good One

by nicolai



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Child Abuse, Childhood, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Fist Fights, Physical Abuse, Siblings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-10
Updated: 2016-03-10
Packaged: 2018-05-25 23:46:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6214954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nicolai/pseuds/nicolai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ozai is disappointed in Azula, she takes her feelings out on Zuko</p>
            </blockquote>





	You Are The Good One

“What do you have to say for yourself?” Ozai’s eyes were cold and appraising as he watched his younger child squirm under his gaze. 

“I don’t have an excuse. It won’t happen again,” Azula said simply, trying to fight down the shame she felt at having let her father down. 

“I hold you to a higher standard because you can reach it, Azula,” Ozai sighed, “You aren’t like your brother. You aren’t destined to disappoint me.”

“Of course not, Father,” Azula swallowed her feelings and met her father’s eyes with the same cold expression, “I will never fail you again.”

He’d been planning a longer lecture, maybe a harsher punishment, but her tone of finality was one he couldn’t argue with. Her eyes, so much like his own, gazing back at him calmed his anger. It was so much easier to rage at Zuko, the boy was clearly afraid, and his eyes, they showed so much weakness. But in hers, there was submission, enough to placate him, but strength and calm and no hint or trace of fear or guilt. She acknowledged who she was supposed to be and there was nothing he could do to reinforce that. He knew that it would be just fine. 

“See that it doesn’t, Azula, you are the good one,” Ozai concluded, “You’re dismissed.”

Azula nodded and turned away, walking briskly out of the room. She had gotten distracted, not trained as much as she should, let things slide, let her ridiculous older brother turn her head. 

“Never again,” she practically growled, shoving Zuko’s shoulder as she passed him in the hallway. 

“What? What did I do?” Zuko leapt to the side, avoiding a second blow by an inch. 

“It’s your fault!” she yelled, anger shattering her icy exterior, “It’s all your fault!”

“What?! What are you talking about?!” Zuko looked around, bewildered, “Stop!” he shouted, jerking back again, scrambling to avoid her fists. 

“It was to go to that stupid festival with you!” Azula yelled, grabbing his shirt and pulling him into her room, “That’s why I wasn’t training! That’s why I got in trouble!”

“You got in trouble? Are you okay?” Zuko gritted his teeth as her fist collided with his shoulder and started looking her over for signs of injury. 

“I’m fine! Even when I screw up, I’m not worthless like you! He wouldn’t do that to me!” Azula shouted, pretending she knew for certain that was the case, “And this was your fault!”

“Ow! Azula! Stop!” Zuko brought up his hands to shield his face, which was rapidly turning red in embarrassment that he couldn’t even hold his own against his little sister in a fist fight, let alone firebending. 

“Fight back!” the young princess demanded, she needed an outlet for her anger, and her brother was a good one, “I’m not stopping, so make me!”

“Please?!” Zuko flinched away again, ducking behind the bed, “I’m sorry!”

The sadness he felt was making him slower, he’d really enjoyed the festival and he’d been glad that they had spent time together. As always, his father had to ruin everything. That particular traitorous thought was quickly drowned in shame that he’d never be able to live up to his expectations, and now he was dragging her down too. Her heel crashing into his forehead and knocking his head against the bedpost obliterated those thoughts and the world went black. 

Moments later he awoke, lying on the ground. Azula glared down at him from her bed, “Good, you’re awake. Get out.”

Dizzy and tired, he nodded and left the room, glad she was done being violent for the moment.


End file.
